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Fiber on utility poles is absolutely a thing, and it's usually far cheaper than buried fiber, not to mention easier to repair. Here in the USA, the main reason
by 20after4 4y ago
Fiber on utility poles is absolutely a thing, and it's usually far cheaper than buried fiber, not to mention easier to repair.
Here in the USA, the main reason that doesn't happen is incumbent providers. Whoever owns the poles is very unlikely to grant you access to hang fiber on them. The one exception is public utilities, they are generally required to offer open access, however, there are all kinds of rules about space between existing utilities and new ones. Unfortunately, you don't just have to deal with the local government because of incumbent providers, who are already hanging their wires on the existing utility poles. Phone and cable providers have incentive to make sure that the process is as arduous as possible and they will put up bureaucratic roadblocks and drag their feet at every opportunity.
This is just what I came to understand by spending a lot of time researching what it would take to start a rural ISP. It's a project that I abandoned after Starlink was announced.
- chrisjc 4y agoI live in a place in the US where a couple of the public utility companies are rolling out highspeed internet through their utility lines. Not exactly sure if it just means they're laying-down/hanging-up fiber as they go through the process of servicing existing lines, or if there's a way they actually transmit through the lines themselves, or combination of both. Whatever these two companies are doing it, i haven't bothered looking into it since we already have 4-5 options and we're already happy; TDS (fiber), Comcast (fiber), T-mobile 5G, Wow (?), can't remember the last. Who would have thought they could all flourish even when you give customers options? /s https://www.kub.org/fiber-shopping/ https://www.kub.org/fiber-shopping/ https://www.lcub.com/broadband-home-landing-page/ https://www.lcub.com/broadband-home-landing-page/